Cable-traction system.



No. 769,399. PATENTBD SEPT. 6, 1904. A. PAINTER.

CABLE TRACTION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHBBTSSKEET 1.

PATENTBD SEPT. 6, 1904.

A. PAINTER.. CABLE TRACTION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CABLE-TRACTlON SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,399, datedSeptember 6, 1904.

Application filed July 24,1903. Serial No, 166,901. No model.)

Be it known that I, ARTHUR PAINTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCable-'Iraction Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cable-traction systems in which buckets orreceptacles are propelled from place to place by gripping an endlesstraveling rope.

y invention relates partly to an improved construction of grips for suchreceptacles, partly to means for letting go and taking the rope byopening and closing such grips automatically, partly to means forhandling and moving the receptacles or buckets at a terminal or otherloading or discharging station while the grips are released, and also toim provements in features and details of construction and arrangementall tending to increased eflicicncy in this class of transportation.

I have-illustrated a practical embodiment of my invention in theaccompanying drawings in connection with which this specification shouldbe read.

Figure l is an elevation of the mechanism at a terminal or loadingstation in which my improvements are included. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the sup1)orting-framework incross-section. Fig. -.t is a longitudinal section of the grip closed.Fig. 5 is a similar section of the grip open. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan ofthe grip in closed position with sliding jaw removed. Fig. 7 is a frontelevation of the grip closed. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the sameclosed. Fig. 9 is a plan of the movable jaw of the grip. Fig. 10 is aside elevation of both chains at their meeting-point.

Figs. 1. 2, and 3 represent arrangements at a loading-station which isusually a terminal station of the cable-traction route, and 1 is aframework constituting part of the structure for supporting the terminalarrangements. To this frame are led the standing rope 2, which isordinarily anchored, as shown, and the course of which is continued bythe rail 3, and the traveling rope at, which is carried by suitablepulleys, one of which is shown at 5. The trolley 6 runs on the standingrope and has the hangers 7, by which the bucket 8 is suspended, asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Carried by the bucket-hangers is thegrip 9, which in transit grasps and holds the traveling rope, but at astation is released, allowing the bucket to stop for loading ordischarging. In Fig. 1 the grip has been released, and the bucket inthat ligure is supposed to be stationary. Secured to the buckethangersis a bracket 11, from which the griphanger 12 is suspended by a pivot13. giving it a certain amount of freedom in the direction of travel.The grip-hanger has cars 14:, in which the grip-casing 15 is mounted bypivots or trunnions 16, Fig. 7, and the grip can swing on such pivots,so as to fully clear itself from the rope (see change of position dottedin Fig. 4) as well as to conformto the grooves in guidesheaves whiletraveling. The grip-casing is open at front and rear and closed at topand partly closed at the bottom and forms a receptacle as well as aguide for the grip-operating mechanism. The casing is enlarged towardthe rear, Figs. 4 and 5, and the bottom is inclined, as shown at 17, toafford room for the operating-lever and its connections. One member ofthe grip proper is a stationary die 18, having a grooved face to partlyencircle the rope, andwhich is adjustably secured in place byscrew-bolts 19, Fig. 6, which pass through lugs 21 of the casing. Theother member of the grip is a jaw or strap 22, Fig. 9, which has asliding movement upon the bottom of the casing and is provided with anupwardly and backwardly turned front end having a slot The upturnedportion is rounded internally to cooperate with the die 18 in grippingthe rope, Fig. 4E, and is also rounded or tapered externally to conformto the grooves in the rope-carrying pulleys when necessary. The bottomof the jaw has aslot 24c and is also cut away or recessed, as shown at25, to allow other mechanism to be set in position and to be operated.This jaw is secured to a slide 26 by a pin 20, and the slide has adownwardly-projecting wing 27, provided with the obtuse angular slot Theslide 26 and jaw 22 are operated by a lever 29, whose bifurcated frontend is pivoted upon a shaft 31 in the casing. This lever has aprojecting pin 32, which when it is thrown up enters the slot 28, movesthe slide 26 forward, and opens the jaw, as shown in Fig. 5. When thelever is thrown down, the pin 32 acts against the other wall of the slotand moves the slide and jaw to the closed position. (Shown in Fig. 4.)For securing and maintaining the grip additional mechanismis providedoperated by the lever 29. A hook-shaped link 36 is connected to thelever by a pin 37,

the hook when the grip is closed engaging with the shaft 31 between theprojecting pivoted ends of the lever, Figs. 4 and 6. To this link ispivoted at 30 the keeper 38, which passes through the bottom of thecasing and through the recess 25 of the jaw. The keeper has hooks 39 41,which are adapted to engage, respectively, with the slots 23 and 24 ofthe jaw, and has a short longitudinal movement limited by a pin 42,which is held in the lugs 21 of the casing and passes through an angularslot 43 in the keeper. A link 44 is pivoted to the keeper and to a boss45 of the casing, which relieves the strain on pin 42 and also holds thekeeper in the dead-line of resistance when the grip is closed. Assumingthe grip to be closed, as shown in Fig. 4, the keeper and itshook-shaped link are in line, with the keeper drawn rearwardly andholding the jaw rigidly and compressing the rope. When the lever isthrown up to the position of Fig. 5, the joint between the keeper andits hooked link is broken at their pivotal connection before the slideand jaw move forward, and the keeper is moved slightly upward andforward and out of engagement with the jaw. The slide then moves the jawforward and the rope is released.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, I now describe the automatic operationof the grip at a station. When necessary to distinguish them, I shalldesignate the bucket of Fig. 1 as the preceding bucket and the portionof the bucket, or rather of its hanger, shown at the left of Fig. 2 asthe following bucket. Any bucket comes in with its grip closed andgrip-lever down. The lever projecting sidewise strikes an upward incline46 on the frame, which throws it up and opens the grip and which iscontinued as a horizontal rail 47 to keep the lever up and the gripopen. As the grip is released from the traveling ropebefore the bucketreaches the loading-point, I provide means for bringing the bucket up tothat point independently of the rope. The means I prefer to employcomprise a belt or chain mounted on loose sprocketwheels 48. The chain49 runs with the arrow in Fig. 10 and carries a series of projections51. The shaft 52 has a pulley 53, from which a belt extends to a smallerpulley 54 on a shaft 55, which may be utilized as a driving-shaft toreceive power from any suitable source,

but has a special function hereinafter described. As the grip is openedon the incoming bucket one of the projections of chain 49 strikes a pin57 on the bucket-hanger, Fig. 3, and so propels the bucket along to theloading-point, in which place Fig. 1 shows it. The grip-casing passesbetween two guides 58 59, Figs. 1, 3, and 7 ,which are deflecteddownwardly past the loading-point and then upwardly to their formerlevel. This deflection forces the front end of the grip downwardly (seedotted lines in Fig. 4) and clears it of the rope and from the path ofany broken wires of the rope until the subsequent upward deflectionbrings the jaw into gripping position again. As the bucket is travelingfaster than the propelling-chain 49 until the grip has been released, Iprovide sprocket-shaft 52 with any simple form of clutch which willenable the chain to take the speed of the rope when it first strikes thebucket. Such a clutch is shown at 61 in Fig. 2 as a simpleratchet-collar, pressed by a spring 62 into engagement with acorresponding ratchet on the adjacent loose sprocket-wheel 48. Theratchet allows the sprocket to slip on the shaft at any speed impartedby the rope. When the grip has been released, the chain carries thebucket forward at the normal speed of the shaft 52. When the bucket hasbeen loaded or discharged, it is moved ahead, and I have shown means bywhich such movement is accomplished automatically by the incomingfollowing bucket. The object is not only to move the preceding bucket,but to start it slowly and without jar and to increase its speed, sothat when it takes the rope its speed will be approximately that of therope, thereby doing away with any jar at its connection. In Figs. land 2a slide 63 is movable in a guideframe 64, which has a slot 65, curvedupwardly at its forward end. The slide has a projection 66 extendingthrough the slot, which is struck by a lug 67 on the bucket-hanger.Secured to the slide is a chain or rope 60, which normally is led over acam 68 on acircular disk 69 and thence around the periphery of saiddisk, to which it is made fast, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thecam and disk have grooved edges, as shown, and constitute one structure,in which the periphery of the cam from a point near the center of suchstructure is formed on a lengthening curve, which finally merges intothe periphery of the disk. The shaft 72, which carries disk 69, isprovided with a belt-pulley 73 and also with a grooved pulley 74, fromwhicha counterweight 75 is suspended to form a means for automaticallyretracting the slide. From pulley 73 a twisted belt extends to a pulleyon a shaft 76, which drives a sprocketchain 77, substantially like chain49. Either of shafts 72 76 may be provided with a ratchet or like clutchto permit the cam-disk to move backward without moving the chaintransmitted back to chain a9.

'77, which when in motion follows the arrow in Fig. 10. As the followingbucket enters, the slide is moved and moves the sprocketchain 77 withincreasing rapidity as the radius of the rope 6O lengthens. Thismovement causes the chain to carry the preceding bucket forward with thegrip still open. The upward deflection of rails 59 puts the grip inproper position relatively to the rope, and immediately afterward thepivoted and weighted incline T8 throws the grip-lever down and closesthe jaws on the rope. This incline is pivoted in order that it may yieldat a certain presure. It should be stated that the lever itself may beweighted to assist in holding the grip closed and the rope undercompression. \Vhile the chain a9 may be driven by external power, asstated, I have shown means by which the preceding bucket as the ropecarries it from the loading-point sets such chain in motion. A thirdcarrying-chain TE), constructed substantially like those described, iscarried by sprockets S1 82. Sprocket 81 is on shaft 55, which has apulley 5 t, belted to pulley on shaft as before described. hen thebucket reaches chain 79, the grip is fully engaged, and hence the motionof the bucket is Thus while the following bucket carries the precedingbucket away from the loading-point the preceding bucket reciprocallybrings the following bucket up to such point.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangements hereindescribed, and shown in the drawings, as I desire to avail myself ofsuch modifications and equivalents as fall properly within the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a system of cable traction, the combination with the travelingrope, of a bucket, an opening and closing grip carried thereby, meansfor automaticz'illy opening the grip, means for automatically shiftingthe grip away from the rope, means for automatically returning the griptoward the rope, and means for automatically closing the grip upon therope.

In a system of cable traction, the traveling rope, a bucket, an openingand closing grip pivoted to said bucket so as to be capable of swingingaway from the rope and toward the rope, and means for automaticallyimparting such swinging movements to the grip.

in a system of cable traction, a supporting structure, a traveling ropeentering the same, buckets having opening and closing grips, and adaptedto be propelled by said rope, means carried by the structure for openingthe grip of a bucket, and a movable carrier for continuing the movementof the released bucket to a predetermined position on said structure.

4. .In a system of cable traction, a supporting structure, a travelingrope entering the same, buckets having opening and closing grips, andadapted to be propelled by said rope, means carried by the structure foropening the grip of a bucket, and an endless chain for continuing themovement of the released bucket to a predetermined position on saidstructure.

5. In a system of cable traction, a supporting structure, a travelingrope entering the structure, buckets having opening and closing gripsand adapted to be propelled by said rope, means carried by saidstructure for opening the grips of the buckets, a carrier for propellinga released preceding bucket away from a predetermined position on saidstructure, and means operated by a following bucket for actuating saidcarrier.

6. In a system of cable traction, a supporting structure, a travelingrope entering the structure, buckets having opening and closing gripsand adapted to be propelled by said rope,

means carried by said structure for opening the grips of said buckets, amovable carrier for continuing the movement of an entering bucket to apredetermined position on, the structure, a second carrier forcontinuing the movement of a preceding bucket from said predeterminedposition, and means operated by the enteringbucket for operating saidsecond carrier.

7. In a system of cable traction, a supporting structure, a travelingrope entering the same, buckets having releasable grips and propelled bysaid rope, means carried by the structure for releasing said grips andfor clamping said grips, a carrier for moving a preceding releasedbucket from a predetermined position on said structure, and meansincluding an accelerating device and operated by a follow ing bucket foractuating said carrier.

8. In a system of cable transportation, a supporting striuzture, atraveling rope, a carrier for moving a bucket away from a stationaryposition on said structure, and movable means in the path of a followingbucket and actuated thereby for starting said carrier and acceleratingits motion.

9. In a cable-traction system, the combina tion with the traveling ropeand with buckets releasable from and attachable thereto, of acarrier-chain for moving a released bucket away from a position of reston said structure. a slide in the path of a following bucket and adaptedto derive a limited movement therefrom, and connections between saidslide and said carrier.

10. In a cable-traction system, the combination with the traveling ropeand with buckets releasable from and attachable thereto, of acarrier-chain for moving a released bucket away from a position of reston said structure, a slide in the path of a following bucket and adaptedto derive a limited movement therefrom, and connections between saidslide and said carrier, which connections include an acceleratingdevice.

11. In a cable-traction system, the combination with the traveling rope,and with buckets releasable from and attachable thereto, of acarrier-chain for moving a released bucket away from a position of reston said structure, a slide in the path of a following bucket and adaptedto derive a limited movement therefrom, and connections between saidslide and said carrier, which connections include a shaft, a circulardisk thereon, a cam associated with said disk and having its peripheryindependent of that of the disk near the aXis of rotation, butultimately merging with the periphery of the disk, and a rope connectingsaid slide with said cam and disk.

12. In a cable-traction system, the combination with the traveling rope,and with buckets releasable from and attachable thereto, of acarrier-chain for moving a released bucket away from a position of reston said structure, a slide in the path of a following bucket and adaptedto derive a limited movement therefrom, connections between said slideand said carrier, and means for disengaging said slide from the bucket.

13. In a cable-traction system, the combination with a supportingstructure, a traveling rope, and buckets propelled thereby, of openingand closing grips pivoted to said buckets, means for releasing andreengaging said grips, and guide-rails on the structure for swinging thereleased grips away from and toward the said rope.

M. In a cable-traction system, the combination with a supportingstructure, a traveling rope, and buckets propelled thereby, of openingand closing grips pivoted to said buckets, means for releasing andreengaging said grips, and guide-rails on the structure having adepression and located in the path of the grips adapted by contact withsaid grips to swing them away from and toward the said rope.

15. In a system of cable traction, having a traveling rope and bucketsprovided with grips, means for automatically handling such buckets at astation, comprising three chain carriers and an accelerator, andinvolving two independent buckets in the following sequence ofoperation: the moving of the second carrier by the action of an incomingor following bucket upon the accelerator and the carrying of a precedingbucket from a place of rest by said second carrier; the driving of thethird carrier by contact with the said moving preceding bucket, and thebringing of said incoming or following bucket to the said place of restby the movement of said first carrier derived from said third carrier.

16. In a cable-traction system, the combination with a supportingstructure, the traveling rope and a bucket having a releasable grip andadapted to be propelled by said rope, of means for releasing the grip ofeach incoming bucket, a carrier for bringing said released bucket to aplace of rest, a projection from the bucket adapted to strike saidcarrier, means for driving the carrier at a normal speed and a clutchincluded in the gearing of the carrier whereby said carrier can be impelled by the bucket, before the release of the latter, at a rate ofspeed greater than its normal speed derived from said driving means.

v17. In a grip for the described purpose, the combination with agrip-casing of a stationary die, a sliding strap and adapted tocooperate with the stationary die, an operating-lever connected to saidsliding strap and a movable keeper in the casing independently connectedto said lever and adapted to engage said strap, and to release saidstrap to permit the said lever to operate the same;

18. In agrip for the described purpose, the

combination with a grip-casing of a stationary die, a movable strap, aslide connected to the movable strap, a keeper having a hooked end forengaging a slot in said strap and having also a loose connection withthe casing, and an operating-lever for actuating said slide in bothdirections and also for actuating the keeper. 19. In a grip for thedescribed purpose, the combination with the grip-casing, of astationarydie, asliding strap, an operating-lever, and a keeper connected to saidlever and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said strap bymovements of the lever.

20. In a grip for the purpose described, a casing having a stationarydie, a sliding strap cooperating therewith. a lever connected to saidstrap for moving it in both directions relatively to the die, and anindependentlymovable keeper, separately connected to said lever, andadapted to be engaged with said strap on a dead-line of resistancethrough the pivot of the lever.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 11th day of July, 1903.

ARTHUR PAINTER.

I/Vitnesses:

F. M. BURT, J. J. BURT.

